James Bolton-Jones
@jamesbj.bsky.social
Advocacy & Policy at Spotlight on Corruption, a UK based charity shining a light on the UK’s role in corruption at home and abroad. Views own.
⏰Last chance to apply for this role which closes at midnight on this coming Saturday (14 Feb)!
Spotlight on Corruption@spotlightcorruption.org · 8mo ago⌛ Just a couple of days left to apply for this tremendous comms role! 🕚 The deadline is 23:30 on Saturday night.
⌛ Just a couple of days left to apply for this tremendous comms role! 🕚 The deadline is 23:30 on Saturday night.
Spotlight on Corruption@spotlightcorruption.org · 9mo ago💥 Are you an experienced comms pro with a track record of crafting & delivering messages to achieve real change? ✊ Keen to join the fight against #corruption? 🫵 You might be the person we need! We’re looking for a comms adviser to join the friendly Spotlight team. Apply below 👇. Deadline: 14 Feb.
🤔 Corruption may seem far away from our normal lives. But it’s actually in our communities, our economy, and our politics too. 🌍 It’s a whole-of-society problem that needs a whole-of-society solution. 🗣️That’s what we’re calling for here at UKACC — and we want you to join us 🫵
Nearly every trail of dirty money leads to a shell company in the British Virgin Islands or another UK-linked financial centre. It’s time for the UK to end the corporate secrecy in its Overseas Territories that enables global financial crime.
Transparency International UK@transparencyuk.bsky.social · last yr.🚨 NEW 🚨 Billions of pounds of dirty money have been laundered through shell companies in the UK Overseas Territories, such as the BVI. This impacts national security and worsens global poverty. As David Lammy faces the Foreign Affairs Committee today, see why it's time for urgent action ⤵️
👇 Really important story from @byrobdavies.bsky.social on the ongoing failure of British overseas territories to honour their pledges to introduce accessible registers of company ownership – a key tool in the fight against dirty money.
British overseas territories miss final deadline to crack down on ‘dirty money’
Island havens accused of ‘defying the will of parliament’ after failing to initiate corporate transparency measures
theguardian.com
👇 Great report from our friends at @influencemap.bsky.social on how the UK’s feeble efforts on lobbying transparency have undermined the policy response to one of the world’s most pressing challenges: climate change.
InfluenceMap@influencemap.bsky.social · last yr.🚨 🇬🇧 New from InfleunceMap: How major lobbying transparency gaps are enabling efforts to delay UK climate & energy policy. This new analysis finds that the true advocacy picture on many climate policies is often obscured by lax reporting and disclosure regulations, leading to derailment and delay 👇
👀 The Treasury recently published the first report on the Economic Crime Levy (ECL). In our new blog we argue that this new funding mechanism for tackling economic crime has notable strengths but also real limitations.
The first Economic Crime Levy report: our analysis - Spotlight on Corruption
The first report on the Economic Crime Levy (ECL) published by the Treasury demonstrates both the strengths and limitations of this new funding mechanism.
spotlightcorruption.org
👇 Great spot by @owenboswarva.bsky.social. We thought this was likely the case but it is nevertheless disappointing to see it confirmed by Cabinet Office Minister @georgiagould.bsky.social yesterday:
Owen Boswarva@owenboswarva.bsky.social · last yr.Confirmation that UK Labour has cancelled the central platform for transparency data, announced by the Tories in 2023 questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques... Strengthening Ethics and Integrity in Central Government (July 2023, pg 5) www.gov.uk/government/p... #opengov #opendata #govtech
🤔 Not a fan of corruption? ❗Interested in ways to improve trust in politics? 😃 Keen to work alongside our small friendly team? 🫵 You might be the person we're looking for! @spotlightcorruption.org is recruiting a new lead for our work on #DefendingDemocracy Deadline: 16/3/25 More details below 👇
Spotlight is recruiting! We are looking for a new lead for our Defending Democracy work - Spotlight on Corruption
Spotlight on Corruption has an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated individual to lead our work on defending UK democracy, by pushing for reforms that
spotlightcorruption.org
✌️ Victory! @spotlightcorruption.org is delighted to see our campaign to give law enforcement agencies greater protection from legal costs when pursuing the assets of deep-pocketed crooks has been successful. The measure has been included in the new Crime Bill announced in Parliament this week 👇.
Crime and Policing Bill: Proceeds of crime factsheet
gov.uk
🆕 BLOG 🆕 Keir Starmer's ministerial code promised a new register of ministerial gifts and hospitality. Now, as the first set of transparency records under these new rules are published, Rose Whiffen looks at what has actually been delivered. www.transparency.org.uk/news/promise...
Promise vs practice: Why Britain's new ministerial gift register misses the mark
Government's attempt to enhance transparency through a new register system leaves much to be desired in both form and function.
transparency.org.uk
👓 WHAT WE'RE READING – 5 stories from the anti-corruption world 😓 It's been a terrible few weeks but it has produced some brilliant and important writing. 1️⃣ @thetimes.com: A fired-up @edwardlucas.bsky.social calls on the UK to up its anti-corruption game in response to developments in the US.
Trump has given kleptocrats the green light
With the US abandoning the fight against corruption Britain must improve its lacklustre record
thetimes.com
✨🔍 NEW 🔍✨ We’ve just added 6000+ new meetings to our Open Access database of Westminster and (now) Holyrood meetings with external organisations. Check out the new data here ⤵️ openaccess.transparency.org.uk
Open Access UK: monitor lobbying meetings with in the UK
Who’s #lobbying the UK? Check Open Access UK
openaccess.transparency.org.uk
📨 We'll shortly be sending out our latest newsletter, with commentary from @suehawley.bsky.social, our submissions to the spending review and the @legalservicesboard.bsky.social, and a job advert 🫵. ✍️ Sign up at our website if you would like to receive it: www.spotlightcorruption.org/newsletter/
📢 Awesome opportunity to join the team at Spotlight on Corruption and work on an incredibly important and interesting topic. Apply via the link below and please share with anyone you think would be a good fit for the role👇
Spotlight on Corruption@spotlightcorruption.org · 2y ago⭐ EXCITING OPPORTUNITY to join our small friendly team at @spotlightcorruption.org! We're looking for someone to lead our work on defending UK democracy – pushing for reforms to: 👉 enhance public trust in govt & 👉 prevent foreign interference in UK politics. 📆 Deadline: Sunday 16 March #CharityJob
👏Great to see @mp4stratford.bsky.social sky.social highlighting the urgent need for political finance reforms to protect our democracy from undue influence. We look forward to seeing the details of the Political Donations Bill when it returns to @houseofcommons.parliament.uk
📨 Our latest newsletter is winging its way to our subscribers' inboxes right now! 👇 If you are not already a subscriber, click below to see what's on offer. ✍️ And sign up at our website if you would like to receive future editions: www.spotlightcorruption.org/newsletter/
Spotlight on Corruption's latest newsletter is out!
Highlights of this month's newsletter include details of our work on political finance and standards in public life; a missed opportunity to improve anti-money laundering regulation of the legal profe...
mailchi.mp
📨 We'll shortly be sending out our latest newsletter, packed with great stories about all the work we did in January. ✍️ Sign up at our website if you would like to receive it: www.spotlightcorruption.org/newsletter/
Proper investigation of Abramovich’s tax affairs is essential, particularly in light of concerns that HMRC is failing to use all the tools available to pursue wealthy individuals and companies. It doesn't matter how rich you are - everyone should have to pay their fair share.
APPG on Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax@anticorruption-responsibletax.org · 2y agoThe APPG calls on HMRC to urgently investigate whether Abramovich owes up to £1bn in unpaid tax, and to recover all that's owed, following investigation by @tbij.bsky.social @theguardian.com and BBC News 👇 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...
📢 The latest publication of departmental transparency releases is out today. This will show who the new government has been meeting with in its first months in power… www.gov.uk/search/trans...
Transparency and freedom of information releases
Find transparency and freedom of information releases from government
gov.uk
👀 A recent flurry of parliamentary interventions is piling pressure on the UK Government to introduce major reforms to the UK’s political finance rules. While the Govt’s promise to introduce reforms is welcome, there is no time to lose.
Foreign donors: Parliamentary pressure grows for ambitious reforms to the UK’s political finance regime - Spotlight on Corruption
Galvanised by the prospect of foreign donors – including a certain US-based tech billionaire – potentially contributing to UK political parties, over the last
spotlightcorruption.org
👇 Really good piece from my colleague George on Lord Anderson's new ethics bill. "Steps to bolster the regulation of standards in public life are long overdue. Here is a ready-made Bill to do just that. The govt should ... throw their weight behind this well-considered ... piece of legislation."
Spotlight on Corruption@spotlightcorruption.org · 2y ago🆕 Yesterday @bricksilk.bsky.social introduced a crucial Private Members’ Bill which would significantly improve #ethics regulation in government. In our latest article we examine why this Bill is desperately needed and why the government should seize this opportunity with both hands:
🚨 Statement 🚨 We have called for the City Minister Tulip Siddiq to relinquish the anti-corruption duties of her role. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 1/8
Tulip Siddiq urged to step back from anti-corruption duties
Siddiq, whose role includes tackling corruption in UK financial markets, has been named in an anti-corruption investigation in Bangladesh.
bbc.co.uk
👀 A few things coming up in Parliament this and next week for anyone interested in what the Government should do to reform the UK's Swiss-🧀-style political finance laws.
"The UK is so vulnerable to being influenced by money coming in from people like Musk into our political system because we don't have any checks and balances." Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas discusses Musk and British politics. #Newsnight
👏 We’re delighted to see @electoralcommission.org.uk throw its weight behind our long-standing call for political parties to introduce ‘know your donor’ policies, in this great @theguardian.com interview by @pippacrerar.bsky.social.
Starmer urged to change donation rules amid talk of Musk bankrolling Reform
Exclusive: Electoral Commission wants law changed amid concern over Elon Musk’s plan to donate to Reform UK
theguardian.com
2026 seems too late to close the loopholes allowing foreign funding of UK political parties It's not like the warnings are new - this has been a longstanding call of almost every leading democracy/transparency group in the UK
Super comment piece in today’s @thetimes.com Law section by former Chief Crown Prosecutor Andrew Penhale on the impact that the crisis in the UK criminal justice system is having on economic crime cases.
How to tackle economic crime? Here’s a Christmas wish list
Incentivising early guilty pleas and improving the use of technology would help ministers in their mission to fight corruption
thetimes.com
🎯Brilliant to have someone with so much on the ground experience in Andrew Penhale (ex Chief Crown Prosecutor) give his expert take on how to tackle huge delays in economic crime and #corruption cases. Adopting his recommendations should also help ease pressure on the wider court system.
Spotlight on Corruption@spotlightcorruption.org · 2y agoAndrew’s article draws on the findings of his fantastic ‘Back of the courtroom queue’ report that we are delighted to publish today.